The mother died at birth
leaving the father to raise
their daughter single-handedly
so he did
until he met a snake
who wanted the daughter’s hand
in marriage
in exchange for the father’s life.

The daughter on knowing this wailed
but she had to save her father
with heavy heart handed over
his beautiful daughter to the snake
as soon turned into a handsome prince
whose curse by the wicked witch
was broken
because a girl agreed to marry him
and they lived happily.

The news of this travelled on the wind
to reach a rich man’s ears
who had a daughter
expecting the same fate
to become a richer man
with greed captured a big snake
locked it in a room
with his frightened daughter
only to unlock a bloodied room
with a dead snake
and a hand in supplication.